Baidu is back with another AI announcement, and this time they’re really swinging for the fences. The Chinese tech giant just rolled out Ernie X1.1, which they’re calling a major upgrade to their previous Ernie X1 model.
What’s New Under the Hood?
Wang Haifeng, Baidu’s Chief Technology Officer, presented the new model as something special. Built on their Ernie 4.5 foundation, X1.1 uses what they call a “hybrid reinforcement learning framework”, basically combining different AI training techniques to make the model smarter.
The technical details might sound dry, but the results Baidu is claiming are pretty impressive. They say X1.1 is significantly better than its predecessor:
- 34.8% more accurate with facts
- 12.5% better at following instructions
- 9.6% improvement in handling complex tasks
The Big Claims
Here’s where things get interesting (and a bit bold). Baidu isn’t just comparing their new model to their own previous work; they’re taking shots at the competition. They claim Ernie X1.1 outperforms DeepSeek’s R1-0528 model across multiple tests.
But wait, there’s more. They’re also saying their model can go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest names in AI, specifically mentioning performance comparable to GPT-5 and Google‘s Gemini 2.5 Pro in certain areas.
Where Can You Try It?
If you’re curious to test it out, Baidu has made X1.1 available through their usual channels – the Ernie Bot website and their Wenxiaoyan app. For businesses and developers, they’ve also deployed it on their Qianfan AI Cloud platform.
The Bigger Picture
This launch isn’t happening in isolation. Baidu also updated their PaddlePaddle deep learning framework to version 3.2, making it better for training large AI models and working with different types of hardware. They’ve been busy updating their development tools too.
The numbers they’re throwing around are pretty staggering – apparently, their AI ecosystem now supports over 23 million developers and serves 760,000 companies. That’s a massive user base, especially concentrated in China.
What This Really Means
Let’s be honest – every AI company is making big claims about their latest models these days. But Baidu’s push with X1.1 represents something important: the global AI race is heating up, and Chinese companies aren’t content to just follow along.
Whether Ernie X1.1 actually lives up to these bold comparisons with GPT-5 and Gemini remains to be seen. Independent testing and real-world use will be the real judge. But one thing’s for sure, Baidu is clearly positioning itself as a serious player on the global AI stage, not just in China.
The competition between AI giants is only getting more intense, and that’s probably good news for everyone who uses these tools.
In related news, Baidu has recently introduced GenFlow 2.0, its latest AI agent framework designed to deliver real-world task execution.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories! 💡
(Via)
Comments